October 10, 2006

We have been super-productive the past few weeks and are feeling pretty proud of ourselves thank you very much.Ben just put in a complete sprinkler system that is pretty impressive. I don't know if it's the really cool rotating fountain sprinkler heads or the thought of having lush green grass without having to drag that damn sprinkler all over the yard ...yay. I took a few of pictures but none of them really showed the scope of the destruction at the time. It was awesome. The trenches are filled now but the yard is still pretty muddy in places and it will be a miracle if any grass grows before the snow flies but it will be worth it in the spring.So I thought one huge project wasn't enough how about two. A week before Ben was going to start the on sprinklers I decided I was going to paint our bedroom...yep a simple paint job. Give the room a little freshening up before winter. Well gosh it is the only room in the house we haven't painted yet! Two weeks later and my 'paint job' has include the removal of a wall, hanging sheetrock and of course all the lovely mudding and sanding that goes along with that...cough. I ripped out the 40yr old carpet and 70yr old linoleum...I think it was linoleum. I'm sure whatever it was it was chock full of Asbestos. Sheetrock dust, lead paint, Asbestos and I stepped on a nice big pointy nail. I'm amazed I survived. Our house was built in 1926 so everytime I tear into a wall or rip up flooring I'm always kind of half-way expecting to find treasure. I did find something this time, not treasure exactly but pretty cool none the less. A beautiful wood floor with not a mark on it, you can see where the former owners (we are only the third owners) did some remodeling, I think they expanded the crawlspace and added the windows. Great idea. Then they put a wall up and made the area into a walk-in closet with the windows in it...? Who knows maybe the closet was supposed to be little office. Anyway the wall is no more. Me, my trusty hammer and my favorite pink Chuck Taylors made quick work of tearing that baby down. "Tear down this wall" ...hah. The floor wasn't stained in that part and was on the fence on if I wanted to completely strip, sand and restain the entire floor or give it all 'a good shelacking'. I decided on a little of both...a couple coats of new stain and three coats of poly somethiny-somethin. Nice and shiny. It doesn't match perfectly but I really like how the little imperfections and scuffs are deeper and richer looking now. So much more interesting ...and shiny. Being able to open all the windows now is awesome, our room would get so stuffy and stale before. I love my new bedroom. Now I'm thinking that the old bedroom furniture is looking a little rough, I really want to finish the basement and I think J-bot's bedroom could use some freshening up........maybe a little 'paint job'.Maybe not. I think my husband is is still recovering from that last major project combo platter so I may have to wait until spring before I do anything else major to the house. That works out for the best with the holidays coming and the weather getting cruddy. Time to be inside and crafty.